Sugar Buzz Cakes by Carol's photostream

Sugar Buzz Cakes by Carol's photostream on Flickr.

Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake

Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake
Originally uploaded by Sugar Buzz Cakes by Carol

This colorful design not only served as a fantastic centerpiece but there were also 36 cupcakes that went along with the whimsical tiered design and two smash cakes. The theme was a great choice for the sibling celebration! The top tier was made of our popular Vanilla Bean cake with Vanilla Cream filling. The bottom was Dark Chocolate Fudge cake with Chocolate Mousse filling! The smash cakes were marble and cupcakes were half chocolate and half vanilla. Fondant curly-Q's topped each cupcake in bright primary colors. I was so happy to make this dessert for one of my son's favorite teachers; Thanks Jen!!

sand pail, beach ball & shovel

sand pail, beach ball & shovel
Originally uploaded by Sugar Buzz Cakes

This was one of the most FUN cakes I have made in a while. I iced the beach pail in butter cream icing, then went back and cut out a bunch of polka dots. I added the rim around the pail and went to town. The beach ball was made from a six inch round ball pan and covered in fondant one strip at at time. At first I piped on the white trim between the colors but didn't like it. So i cut strips of white and it was perfect. I formed the shovel using a flower former. I wrote Happy Birthday Olivia on the handle then a big number two. There is a "2" on the ball as well as in the sand of the beach pail. The shells were made of bright colors to match the colors of the cake. Sand was added by using graham cracker crumbs! I am sure this was a tasty treat for all...

3D buddha

3D buddha
Originally uploaded by Sugar Buzz Cakes

We were hired to make this Buddha cake for a 40th birthday celebration that a catering company was doing. It was the star of the show next to the guest of honor. The photo does not give justice to the actual size of the cake. It was on a 14" round cake board and stood almost 13 inches tall. I was recently asked "Is it all cake?" YES, even his head is cake! It was carved form round cakes then covered in fondant. The robe was added in layers then his hands and feet. The edible gold highlights were added using an airbrush. His face was added at the end. Another baker commented that he looked like Charles Barkley! How true... Without the gaged earlobes that is. It was challenging to make but really fun at the same time.

The Old Ball & Chain!!

the old ball and chain
Originally uploaded by Sugar Buzz Cakes

This was a really fun grooms cake if you the type that can take a joke. The ball and chain is made of fondant. The actual cake is underneath. It is supposed to look like it is on sand with palms around it. The red flowers were added as the wedding colors were black, red and silver!

Party On Mike!!

 This is the character Mike form Monsters Inc. It is all cake, even the gift package he is holding.  It is covered in green fondant then decorated with additional fondant pieces. He stood about fourteen inches tall. Happy Birthday to a lucky little one!!

 

    Here is a close up of his little hands and feet. His claws were white with light dusting of mushroom colored pedal dust for added dimension.

Fox 10 Visits Sugar Buzz Cakes

Sugar Buzz Cakes was featured on Phoenix FOX 10 Morning Show with with Cory McCloskey! It was a great experience and I was so proud to be chosen. Cory made it so easy to be on LIVE TV!! I have attached a link to the two segments we did.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/morning_show/corys_corner/sugar_buzz_cakes_010510 

Here are a few behind the scenes shots from our photographer Ellen aka The Queen Bee,

Thanks Mom!

 

Cakes For The Cure!

Sugar Buzz Cakes was proud to be a part of the first annual Cake Challenge for the Cure which took place on Sunday, May 17, 2009.  Six local professional cake decorators demonstrated their talents and creativity as they competed in a cake decorating challenge inspired by the Food Network Challenges.  Destry Jetton from channel twelve's  Midday Arizona morning TV show and will Emcee the event, conduct a live auction and announce the winner. All proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund through the Breast Cancer 3-Day. At the end of the competition, pastry chefs will choose a winner. The finished cakes were auctioned off and there were lovely gift basket to raffle. The restaurant, Country Cottage provided hors d'ouerves, beverages and cute little cakes to sell with the net proceeds being donated as well. It was an amazing event. I met incredible men & women and heard unforgettable heart-felt stories of encouragement and survival. I am looking forward to next year! Thank you to Sara and her team for your hard work! You Rock!!

http://www.ivystudiosphoto.com/slideshows/cakechallenge/

Ivy Studios Graciously donated their time to photograph the entire event. Click the link above to view the slide show.  www.ivystudiosphoto.com

White and Silver 40th Birthday cake!

There is always a favorite cake of the week. This is the one! The cake served 65 guests & glittered so much you almost needed sunglasses to look at it! The top tier was our popular Vanilla Bean cake with fluffy "real butter" vanilla buttercream filling. The bottom tier was Milk Chocolate cake with Strawberry Cream filling, yum! It is a fondant covered cake with silver dragees* placed all over the cake. *A dragee is a hard sugar candy usually covered with a metallic finish however they are offered in multiple colors. I made the shoe, purse and "40" out of model magic then painted or highlighted them with silver luster dust. This cake was ordered by a client from New York. Together we designed the cake over the phone & via email. It turned out beautifully and I look forward to adding it to our website with the next update! Thanks for looking! Carol

How to order a custom cake

To be better prepared when ordering a custom cake, especially for the first time, there are several steps to be aware of. Below you will find listing of important elements to familiarize yourself with as they are permanent to know when placing your order.

· Are you working with a theme or color palate? Some celebrations are designed to coordinate with a character, movie or match a pattern. It is a good ideas to provide an invitation, photos or a color swatch to your baker in order to match you icing colors closely.   

· What is the date of the celebration? Some weekends are already booked to capacity. It is a good idea to have your celebration date confirmed in order to reserve a cake.  Even if you are not sure what kind of cake you want or what size you need, at least we have time reserved for you.

· Is there a guest count or number of servings need? Generally we like to have some ideas of the guest count. Our smallest cake serves 20 and we have served cake to as many as 425 guests for one order. Since the guest count varies and often times you don’t know the guest count until the RSVP date approaches, it is good to offer a reasonable servings size for your main cake, than add cupcakes for any additional servings at the last minute. This also allows for quick cake servings for inpatient, “little” guests and offers dimension to your dessert table.

· Decide on a budget for your dessert. Before ordering your custom cake, have a dollar amount in mind that you would like to spend. Adding cupcakes to your order is one way of increasing your servings and keeping cost down. On the other hand if budget is not an issue, a 3D-Sculpted cake may be the choice for you! Next to your guest of honor, your cake is the star of the show! The dessert is on display for your guests’ enjoyment and anticipation of consuming a magnificent sugar work of art!

· Is there an inscription for the cake? We add an edible sugar plaque with every order. This is a decorative plaque that is the size of a business card or slightly larger pending design. It usually has a birthday greeting or short message to the guest of honor. It can be saved or eaten. We do this in lieu of piping a greeting on our sugar creation as it often disturbs the look of the cake. A sugar plaque is part of our signature look.

· What are your preferred cake flavors and fillings? Our menu offers an enormous collection of cake and filling choices. Any combination is acceptable as you know best what you and your guests prefer. With our tiered cakes you can choose a different flavor and filling for each tier at no additional cost. We often recommend a familiar flavor for your largest tier then suggest a unique or out of the ordinary flavor for the remaining tiers.

· Making deposits and final payments. A deposit of $50.00 will reserve your custom cake. The remaining balance will become due one week prior to your celebration date. We accept cash or check on site as well as credit or debit though our website either at our location or from the convenience of your home.

· Change of order deadline. We understand that change happens. This is why we give you up to the last week prior to your celebration to make changes. This includes serving size, some design options or flavors and filing selections. Modifications to your order cannot be made within the last seven days prior to your celebration date. If the servings need to increase, we can add on cupcakes of sheet cakes for additional servings.

· Would you like a smash cake for the guest of honor? A smash cake is made especially for the guest of honor. It is a small cake made to look like the large party cake and is usually 4-5 servings. They offer the perfect photo opportunities for first birthday celebrations!

· Cake pick up and delivery. You are welcome to pick up your cake Tuesday thru Saturday from 11:00am until 6:00pm. They are completely boxed and stacked in most cases. Cutting and servings instructions are included with your order. Cakes that are delivered & setup will be charged a delivery fee. The rate is based on mileage; call for details. All cakes are delivered by a professional decorator to ensure the best level of quality and professionalism.

Meet Carol, The Sugar Buzz Decorator!

Carol Antes, 
Owner/Cake Artist

Sugar Buzz Novelty and Wedding Cakes

Mesa, Arizona 
Since 2004.

Carol Antes’ passion for decorating stems from her childhood influenced by her Grandmother. Carol Specializes in 3D, sculpted & unusual cakes. Her talents were discovered during a beginner’s cake decorating class in 1998. From there she joined a local cake club, began entering in shows then traveled to conventions around the country where she was invited to instruct.  She has been recognized with numerous awards for her talent. Included in her portfolio are a variety of cakes currently and previously featured Arizona Bride Magazine as well as several local articles for her cake designs. She was voted as one of the top three wedding cake designers in Arizona in 2008. She has been featured on local TV stations for her unique ability to carve and sculpt cakes. Carol teaches basic to advanced decorating classes as well as private instruction.

Making A Buttercream Baby Bootie Cake

This is the beginning of what is to become a butter cream iced baby bootie cake. We start out with four 5 x 7 oval cakes and two 5" round cakes. Each cake is two inches tall. The first baby bootie is placed on one half of the cake board. The sides and front are carved to simulate the rounded shape of a booite. Once you achieve the correct shape of the bootie it is time to fill it with butter cream icing. Be sure to add the small round cake to the top as the ankle of the bootie.
The cake is then iced entirely with butter cream icing and ready to decorate. It is best if you chill the cake prior to your final icing.

Starting at the bottom of the cake with your tip pointing downward, squeeze and pull straight up, releasing pressure after about one and a half inches. Go all the way around the cake and repeat the steps for at least three to four rows.

Upon reaching the curve of the bootie you will pull your tip towards the top/center of the bootie. This is usually achieved in two rows if icing. Once the cake is almost completely iced, it is time to ice the sides of the ankle. Using the same technique, go around the ankle in two rows.

At this point you can add a finished look by piping a top border around the ankle. This is the best time to add in the second cake. Its okay if they are close or even touch. Using the same star tip technique, create the second bootie. *A note to the decorator" adding in a circle of white fondant to the top of the bootie will give you a smooth finished look. It can also be achieved with butter cream icing with practice.

This is the finished look of the baby bootie cake. They are completed with an icing ribbon bow on the front and a ribbon of color in a dash pattern around the ankle.

Alice In Wonderland Mad Hatter Hat Cake

This hat was created for a client who's wife is "addicted to those cake shows" according to Fred. He wanted to surprise her with something that would amaze and thrill her and he chose Sugar Buzz Cakes for help accomplish his goal. This is a sour cream almond cake with carmel butter cream filling. The cake is covered with black fondant and airbrushed to create a lace fabric look on the cake and brim. Layers of light burgundy fondant were wrapped around the bottom and brushed with a shimmery pearl for added sparkle. The hat pins are decorative as well as the feather on the left. The cake board itself is twelve inches around and the cake is almost fourteen inches tall. There is no internal support system in this cake. I spoke to Fred on the evening that he picked up the cake. He was more than thrilled with the cake! His only question was " How do we cut it?" I am sure they had a wonderful celebration. I was proud to be a part of it.